my whirlwind week went really well, if i do say so myself. i was able to see dave, even if it was ever-so-breif, and i finally made my first trip to mcgill as an accepted student. yay! the weather was worse than terrible (freezing! rain!) and almost made me second guess my decision to move even farther north. but im pretty sure itll be worth it.
i met with my advisor, who didnt give me tons of new information but really just helped to explain the basics of the program and make me feel more comfortable. it was nice to finally just have some face-to-face conversation about my future plans with someone who knows what she's talking about. she looks pretty relaxed too, so hopefully ill have some more flexibility and room for creativity in my research.
i also met the woman who will assign me my field placement, and learned a few surprising things. for example, one thing that drew me to mcgill is the large number of international students, but i think im the only international student in my entire program. i am for sure the only one who doesnt speak french, and one of the only ones who's not currently a mcgill undergrad. talk about sticking out. now im more concerned than before that i find a good, friendly roommate so i can have someone to talk to in case i dont fit in with my classmates. i also learned that mcgill has some awesome opportunities to do a summer internship abroad, including in a few african countries, but i dont think ill take advantage of them because i want to spend the whole year in montreal. i might consider using some of their connections to go after i graduate, though.
so now that im back i have a lot of work to do, including getting a visa, continuing with my french lessons, planning a move, finding an apartment, deciding on a thesis, getting financial aid... oh boy!
my trip to new paltz with some residents was also a big success. at first it wasnt looking good. i was late, which pissed off one resident, only 3 out of 5 girls who signed up came, and they were all kind of cranky and wanted a 'quick' trip. they also didnt realize it was a 1.5 hour drive each way. they didnt want to see suny new paltz, saying it would be lame and boring, but i took a shot and drove there anyway. we got out of the car and started wandering toward a building, and i got some badass points for letting myself in. they were clearly feeling out of place and thought we might get in trouble. as we started wandering i pointed out different things like a theater and gym, and the girls were getting more and more excited in spite of themselves. by the end they were all talking about how cool college is and how they all really want to go and be students. i knew it wouldnt last, but i was so proud of myself and them in that moment that i didnt care. then we had a pretty decent chinese buffet and made it home almost on time.
besides that work has basically been the same old. some days im the good guy, some days im not. some days i hate going and then some days, like today, it isnt so bad and i find myself enjoying the residents' company in a really genuine and full way.
im enjoying my free time a lot, even more than before because its finally spring. i planted a little roof-top garden and ate a few meals on my roof. ive gone out without freezing between bars, and im more comfortable in different neighborhoods. im trying to branch out a little, and even did yoga in the park yesterday. im still sore. the reality that the end of the year is rapidly approaching is setting in, and i feel like i still have so much left to do here in nyc. hopefully ill get to see everything on my 'bucket list' before i go.
our silent spirituality retreat is this weekend, and i dont really know how i feel about it. i think it could be cool, but i honestly just dont want to give up my cell phone for 3 days. but that kind of makes me more interested in the idea. ill let you know how it goes!
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